Anthem of the Angels
by smoshy.fever1
Summary: A blond male sat, hunched over and sobbing. He'd lost track of time and forgot how long he'd been in there, but he didn't care. Only one thing mattered, only one thing would ever matter to him. IkexLink SnakexLink For xeno-skyward-emblem!


**Songfic. Sort of. There are two songs that I'm using for this, but not every lyric of each song. The first song is "Anthem of the Angels" by Breaking Benjamin, and the second is "Without You", which is also by Breaking Benjamin.**

**Pointless disclaimer: I do not own the characters. They are the property of Nintendo and Konami. I also do not own nor do I have any affiliation with Breaking Benjamin.**

**Also, I hope you like your story Xeno! I worked really hard for this to be an acceptable story for you!**

* * *

**_White walls surround us._**

**_No light will touch your face again._**

A blond male sat, hunched over and sobbing. He'd lost track of time and forgot how long he'd been in there, but he didn't care. Only one thing mattered, only one thing would ever matter to him.

"Link... Don't cry..." the man next to him breathed.

**_Rain taps the window,_**

**_As we sleep among the dead._**

"Oh, I… I didn't realize you'd woken up sweetie— How long have you been up?"

When the other male spoke, he was barely audible because of the soft rain against the window.

"Not too long... Link... Please don't cry over my death..."

**_Days go on forever._**

**_But I have not left your side._**

"What do you mean? Snake, you're going to live! How dare you say such a terrible thing as that!"

"I mean that I know I'm dying… I can feel it. Promise me… You won't grieve. I don't want that." the dying man begged.

"Baby, you're not going to die! Stop that!" Link cried, grasping the man's cold and slightly shaking hand.

"Link, if you think I'm going to live, why are you crying? Afraid to let go of my hand? Whatever I've been hit with has gotten me. I… I'm already dead inside. I'm sick, pain is everywhere."

**_We can chase the dark together._**

**_If you go then so will I._**

Crystal clear droplets slid down the blond's face. He knew from the start that the man he loved was not going to be leaving the hospital alive.

_"I don't want you to go," _he whispered as he clutched onto the brunet's hand with a greater force, not having the slightest care in the world about anything else. Bills, work, friends, family… Not a single thought crossed his mind, clouded his thoughts. His main focus was this man here, his best friend and lover, dying and not being able to do a damn thing about it. Nothing could ever make a person feel more useless.

"I don't either… But it's not like either of us have been blessed with a choice. This is inevitable for us. I-I know I promised I'd always be here, but I'm gonna have to break that promise. Please… forgive me… I-I… am so sorry…"

"I don't want to say goodbye!"

"Hey, don't think of this as… goodbye… It's a… see you later…"

"Don't die baby… Please, stay with me. I need you. Here. With me. Forever."

"I can't… I… I'm too weak… I can't hold on any longer…"

The frequency of the beeps the machine the brunet was hooked up to began to slow down. His breathing was uneven and also less frequent, scaring him more than he had ever felt.

"Snake? Snake?! W-what is happening?" the blond asked, even though he had a pretty good idea of what exactly the problem was.

"I think… you know what the hell is happening—you're an intelligent man… Tell everyone I said… goodbye and that I'll miss them…" Snake breathed, utilizing the last of his strength to bring Link's hand up to his cold lips and leaving a weak peck on the shaking hand.

"I will." Link vowed, tears falling at a more rapid pace than before. He kissed those hard lips and pulled back, letting Snake speak once more.

"I see Marth… And your mom… They're smiling… Sadists…" Snake said with a slight chuckle, causing Link to join him briefly. Snake savored in the sound, he'd never get to hear that laugh again.

"I'll miss you the most… _I love you, Buttercup. _Take care of yourself… And I mean that…_"_

**_There is nothing left of you._**

**_I can see it in your eyes._**

As he uttered his final words, the man's cold, blue-grey eyes shut for the final time. The machine played one final, heart-wrenching noise and the brunet's final grip slackened.

"No…No… _NO!_" Link screamed, causing attention from outside of the room to inside the white, noise-filled area.

Doctors and nurses flooded the room immediately. Link was clinging onto the dead man, the machine growing increasingly annoying, and the sound of the soft rain seemed to be amplified by a thousand.

"Nurse, get him off!" the middle-aged doctor demanded as he tried to check Snake, but was pushed away by the grieving man.

"C'mere sweetie… I know it's hard. Come with me," the brunette murmured as she tried to peel the blond off of his dead partner.

But unfortunately for the nurse, Link was having none of that.

_"No! I'm not leaving him!"_

A larger woman walked over and gently backed the other nurse away. She put her hair into a sloppy ponytail and rolled her sleeves up. The slim—yet very strong— woman regretfully pried the man off and carried him as if he was a sleeping toddler to another room.

**_Sing the anthem of the angels._**

**_And say the last goodbye._**

**_I keep holding onto you._**

**_But I can't bring you back to life._**

A redheaded male walked up to the blonde nurse, "I heard the yelling. I believe now's my time to shine, so I'll take it from here. Link, it's me, and I'd love for you to come with me right now."

"And I'd love for the love of my life to be alive!" he spat, not caring how unnecessarily rude he was being to the man that he was best friends with in school.

Roy sighed and rubbed his temples with two fingers, "This won't be easy—it never is—but it especially won't be with him…"

Samus went into the room and set Link down on the black couch. She came back out and closed the door before looking Roy dead in the eye and saying, "If you need any help, let me know. He's much stronger than he gives off. Start gentle."

"Sam, I know how to do my job. I went to school for this, remember?"

"Yeah, but your skull is still as thick as a damn brick."

"Hey—!"

The blonde nurse pushed her co-worker in the room and walked away. The redhead sat down in the chair next to the couch and hesitated. He didn't know how he should start with Link, but thankfully Link started for him.

"Don't say a damn thing. Don't ask how I feel, don't ask what I'm thinking, because you know damn good and well how I feel."

Roy sighed and looked at Link, "I have to. It's my job, and I need to know your exact thoughts."

The blond glared at Roy, "Wanna know my exact thought process right now? The first word begins with an f and ends with an uck, and believe me when I say it's not firetruck. I'll give you the second one: it's the letter that comes before v and after t."

The doctor thought about it,"… Hey! That's not nice, dude!"

"Who said I'm nice?" Link growled, a snarl so dangerously close from escaping his lips.

"Me. Your friends. Snake."

**_Sing the anthem of the angels._**

**_And say the last goodbye._**

A shuddered breath left Link's body, just as the final one left his mate's not too long ago, "Don't say his name. Don't you fucking dare, Roy. I can't do this, I just can't. That man meant the whole fucking world and more to me, and now he's gone. Forever. And I'll never hold him again, I'll never get to kiss him, hear his voice…"

"That's not necessarily true. You have your memories, and those will take his place. It's sad, I know. I understand, I have been in your shoes, I know what you feel. But being rude and in denial like this is not the path to take. Take those memories I know you hold so dear to you and never forget them. Eventually memories will turn to dreams, which will make you sad and make you just want to cry and never stop. But when you accept he is gone, then it will get better. When Marth died I thought it was the end of the world. But I kept my memories close and they became dreams, and I'm sure you know just how real dreams can get. And when I accepted Marth was gone, he came to me in a dream. He was the most beautiful I had ever seen him, and I was somehow happy. I moved on, knowing he was watching over me. Snake will be watching over you. Just like your mom is. And I know Marth and I will meet again someday, just like I know you and Snake will. I know you're hurt, but you have to utilize your strength to heal yourself. From here on out, you have to heal yourself, just like I did. It hurts, but you just have to sing the anthem of the angels and say your last goodbye."

**_You're dead alive._**

* * *

Link sat before the gravestone, his tears still not ceasing to exist. The funeral had long since been over, but he couldn't bring himself to leave. How could he? When was one expected to leave the place they just saw a loved one for the last time? That was a question not even Roy could answer, and he was an expert in dealing with grief. Everyone had let Link be after the funeral, no one knew a thing to say to him at this point and Roy knew he was better off talking to Link about it later on in the week.

Link felt empty on the inside. There just wasn't anything there anymore. No acid, no organs, no blood. He was a hallow shell that couldn't be filled again. Everything changed after Snake got sick, let alone died.

The doctors didn't know what was wrong with Snake. The illness was unknown and didn't seem to be contagious, but they just couldn't figure out what it was. They tested for every kind of cancer—they thought it was lung cancer since Snake was a smoker— but all of the tests came back negative. He was a mostly healthy and active man, and was never prone to any sort of sickness, not even the common cold.

And yet when he did get sick, it was for the worst. The result wasn't a healthy, strapping young man like he was. No, he was very, very sick. Link believed with every atom of his being that Snake was trying to live, that he was holding on as long as he could for Link.

But he just wasn't strong enough…

Soft rain beat gently on the fresh headstone. How cliché, rain falling as a man mourned over the love of his life as he stood at the headstone…

"You should probably head out." A very unfamiliar voice said almost sarcastically.

Link snapped his head to see a big man with blue hair dressed in jeans and a white tank top with a yellow hat-helmet in his hand.

A construction worker. Great.

"Go away."

"I'm afraid I can't do that. The rain will stop soon so construction is still on. Sorry pal, say the last goodbye and go on home."

**_Sing the anthem of the angels._**

**_And say the last goodbye._**

**_"Hey, don't think of this as… goodbye… It's a… see you later…"_**

* * *

**(Three Years Later)**

"Samus, I don't know what to do about Link. It's been three years since Snake died and he's still not back to his normal self."

"You went to school for that crap, you'll figure it out." She said as she opened up another beer and sat down next to her roommate.

"I've been trying, nothing is coming to mind! I looked through everything I could! He hasn't moved on from the grief!"

Link certainly hadn't gotten past the initial grief he was stricken with when Snake passed away. He was now cold and sarcastic, not to mention a bit rude, though he didn't mean to be. It was just how he was, his new nature. Not that he cared, he didn't need to be nice anymore. Snake wasn't alive.

"Are you sure he's still filled with grief? He could be just like me you know."

"Doubt it. No one can be like you."

"Not sure of I should take that as a compliment or an insult…"

"Believe what you want."

As Samus pondered how to take it, Roy decided that maybe Link was just affected by the loneliness he was in. He was still single even after three years and didn't seem to plan on dating anytime soon. Maybe if Roy hooked Link up with someone he'd be back to normal…

"I've made up my mind. I'll take it as-"

"We need to hook Link up with someone."

"Like who?"

"Hmm… I think I have just the guy for him…"

* * *

"You want to me to do what, exactly?" Link asked as he sipped on his morning coffee.

"Hang out with Samus and me tonight! We're going to have a couple friends over and we don't see you as often as we used to so-"

"No thanks."

"Link, it's time you socialize-"

Link stood up, "It's time you get off my ass about this. I'm a grown man, I can take care of myself just fine. I don't need to go out and about like you think. I do go out, every morning before work—like now— I come here for some coffee. That's enough for me."

Roy sighed, "It isn't healthy Link. For three years you've been confined to your home and work, and occasionally you'll come see Samus and I. We miss you."

The blond pinched the bridge of his nose and grabbed his coat jacket, "Fine. If it'll get you to back the hell off for even a little while, I'll go."

The redhead stood up joyfully and hugged his once close friend, "Awesome! I'll see you at six then?"

"If I don't kill myself first."

Link left the coffeehouse and mentally slapped himself. He was going soft again…

Link walked by the familiar cemetery as he did any other day on his way to work, ignoring the pain that entailed every single time he walked by it. He'd gotten used to it some time ago, numb to the feeling now.

* * *

"Sam! Sam! Sam! Sam! I got him to agree!"

"Really? What'd ya do, blow him?" the blonde asked as she twirled her ponytail, never breaking eye contact with the television.

"No! You know I'm not even gay anymore," Roy said as he sat next to his roomie.

"You never know, a guy that was as much of a fag as you could change teams again like this," Samus demonstrated with a snap and a smirk to go along.

Roy just rolled his eyes and grabbed her hand, placing it atop of his head and waiting for her to play with the massive load of red locks.

"Oooh!"

Playing with Roy's hair brought out the calmer and more childish side of Samus. It was just so much fun! Plus, there was so much of it! He'd never go bald for sure…

"You're so cute. Anyway, he's coming over tonight and then we can introduce him to-"

"I know, sheesh. The only hard part of this plan really was getting him over here. Well, minus the whole "meet a new guy and fall in love" part."

"Jeez, what the hell did we get ourselves into…?"

* * *

As Link prepared himself to visit his friends, he looked over at his .45 he'd had for a while now. He did say he would be there only if he killed himself…

_Sigh… Not tonight. Maybe another._

The blond put on a black beanie and let it sit loose on his head, giving a look that made people ask if he was a "hipster."

And each time he was questioned about it, he'd respond with:

"No, I'm not. But I'm also not a mainstream faggot like you."

In short, a lot of people didn't like Link. Not one bit. When a snarky remark was made to someone and a friend was with them, they'd laugh every now and again. But Link made sure no one was left out. That'd be favoritism.

And Link favorite no one.

He'd then walk away, not caring one bit that he was rude. He didn't think of himself as mean, just a sarcastic low-blower.

He walked to his friend's apartment building. One of the reasons that he never visited them was because he had to be buzzed in, and he hated waiting for that.

_Buzz!_

_"Who is it?"_

"If you don't open this door in two seconds I'm leaving."

_"Shit, it's Link! Let him in!"_

The door unlocked and he walked up two flights of stairs and walked in, not bothering to knock. They knew he was there, so it wasn't rude, was it? Not that Link cared.

He received the usual greetings from his two friends and was quick to sit on the bean bag chair he claimed as his long ago. He may have been a cold bastard, but that didn't mean he couldn't like bean bags!

"Link, these are some of our friends I'd like you to meet." Roy started, gesturing to three strangers Link did not want to get to know.

The first was a young woman with a long green ponytail that rivaled Samus' own. She smiled at Link and held out her hand, "Hi Link! My name is Lyndis, but my friends call me Lyn."

"Well then, _Lyndis_," Link began, "I suggest you put your hand back and invest in hair dye that actually flatters you."

Lyn, being briefed before Link arrived in his behavior, had set out to become his friend. She was informed of Link's story and was still stricken with the grief of losing his mate beforehand, so she was trying to be understanding of his position.

"Oh! Well… I've been looking into dying my hair recently. Any color you'd suggest?"

"Not red, not blonde, not brown… Fuck it, go black. It'll make your face look less fat."

Lyn nodded slowly and sucked on her bottom lip. Roy did say that Link's compliments doubled as insults but were meant to be taken as something nice…

"O-kay… Uh, Link, this is Doug."

The man was built and wore rather skin tight clothing, making Link shudder. What the hell is a grown man doing wearing clothes like that?

"Hi Doug, do me a favor and buy looser clothing. You're leaving nothing to the imagination down in your piss pump area, not that there's much to imagine in the first place."

_"Damn, Link's on a roll tonight!_" Samus bit her lip as Doug decided to just remain silent. Honestly, she was trying so very hard to not just roll over and die laughing.

"And I'm Ike." The last person said with absolutely no fear in his demeanor.

"I've seen you before, blueberry. You're the jackass from the cemetery three years ago," Link snarled and was ready to pounce on the man that was rude to him as he stood over his lover's grave.

"No Link!" Roy intervened quickly, holding Link back against the wall with a great struggle. Damn Link was strong! Was working out part of his loneliness?

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about," the man smirked, knowing full well the pain he caused Link that day.

Seeing that bastard smirk made Link even angrier, bringing Samus to use her strength against him like she had three years ago on that life-changing day.

Ike chuckled as Doug and Lyn quickly fled the scene. This was a fiery one and they were not interested in being witnesses to a possible murder. Samus tried to get them to stay but to no avail, for they were long gone from the building.

Ike chuckled and approached Link, who was still struggling against his two friends, and leaned in so their noses were touching,

"What's wrong, Custard Cup?"

Samus nearly facepalmed, "Custard Cup? Out of all the things you've said to me because I'm blonde, none have been that stupid."

"Gotta give shit names to shit people."

Link gritted his teeth and headbutted Ike, causing him to groan in agony and back away from the irate blond.

"Ike, cool it. I didn't expect you to be such an ass." Roy struggled to get out.

"I wasn't planning on it, but he's a dick so why not be a dick back?"

"You won't have a dick after I'm finished with you."

"Gonna suck it all off? Thanks baby, it's been a while since someone blew me."

Samus couldn't contain herself any longer and laughed, causing her muscles to weaken for a split second and allowing Link to pull himself off the wall and make it way to the blue-haired bastard across from him.

Ike just laughed and grabbed Link's wrists, holding them to his sides and smirking that shit-eating grin Link already hated.

The blond snarled and kicked Ike in the groin, punching him the second his wrists were released. He was satisfied when Ike hit the floor with a thud and resumed his seat on the bean bag chair.

The owners of the apartment just looked at each other and helped Ike up. Link didn't knock him out but he surely left an impression not to be messed with anymore.

"So… Anyone up for pointless ice breakers?"

* * *

"Are you sure Ike is the guy for Link?" Samus asked as they cleaned up.

The rest of the night was priceless. Ike and Link were just going back and forth at each other—after both of them (albeit a bit reluctantly on Link's part) agreed to no more physical violence upon Roy' request— and being very sarcastic and rude to one another in between the "pointless icebreakers."

"I'm positive. You saw how they talked to each other. They'd be a couple that could act the way they did tonight but never leave each other's sides. Just imagine if say Link gets called a hipster for a thousandth time and Ike is there to defend him with a sarcastic comment! Or if someone hits on Ike as usual and Link and his snappy remarks could be there to mark his territory!"

"You've given this a lot of though, haven't ya?"

"Perhaps…"

Samus chuckled and played with Roy's hair as they relaxed on the couch, "Ah well, makes ya cute. Anyway, how do you plan on moving them forward?"

"I was thinking we could all go to a movie together and then you and I could sneak out at some point."

"What movie?"

"Ride Along."

"Oh hell no, I'm not sneaking out of that!"

* * *

"You want me to hang out again this early after my last visit? And you want me to go in public too?"

It was a familiar setting, Link having his morning Starbucks and Roy pleading for Link to tag along that night.

"Come on! Ike's gonna be there?"

"And adding on the information that Cumguzzler is gonna be there will make me go how?"

"Just… Please Link! For me. As your best friend."

"You said you'd back off if I went to your place the other day. And you're not. So what the hell makes me want to do anything for you?"

"Please Link, I'm not just doing this because it's my job. I genuinely care about you and it's time you get even a little of a social life back."

"I'll consider it. If you hear from me by noon I'm not going."

Link left the coffee shop and Roy sighed. This was the hardest patient he'd ever dealt with…

* * *

"So is Link coming or not?" Samus was curling her hair and doing her makeup, something she'd recently become a self-proclaimed pro at.

"I think so. He said if I heard from him by noon he wouldn't be going and I haven't got a text or anything like that from him. I think we're in the clear!" the doctor celebrated.

"Check your email, he might try to get your hopes up and wait for you to crash and burn. He's evil like that."

Roy's blue eyes widened as he rushed to his laptop.

"Bet you five bucks he emailed you." The woman laughed as she finished her hair.

And sure enough, Roy saw this:

_Hey bitch! It's officially 11:59 a.m. and I'm emailing you. Did I get your hopes up? I hope. Now, if we're going to do this, things are going to go my way. First, we aren't going to a stupid ass Kevin Hart movie. He's done like fucking three in two months. We aren't even going to the movies. Meet me down at Q-Masters at the same time we planned for that damn movie. Bring cash._

"Well, I owe you five, but Link said that we're going to Q-Masters now. Damn, it's been a long time since I played billiards…"

"Pool isn't hard to get back into Roy. Call Ike and tell him change of plans."

* * *

"Hey Link,"

"Saw my email last minute?"

"Yeah…"

"Knew it. Ready for some pool?"

"I'll sit this first round out. Sam, however, will play for sure."

Samus shot Roy a dirty look as she stepped up to the pool table and racked up the balls.

"Where's Needle Dick?" Link asked as he chalked his pool cue.

"Right here, Corn Pop." Ike removed his jacket to reveal a black t-shirt that was fitted quite well with three men on it. The one closest to the camera when the picture was taken had short dark hair with a slightly scruffy beard in the making and a plain white t-shirt, while the one in the middle was obviously shorter than the others. He wore a pair of sunglasses and his hair was blond and messy, just the way he liked it. The last had very long dark hair and a rather thin face. They were an odd looking group for sure, but that didn't stop them from becoming famous in the early 90's.

That was Link's favorite band on his shirt. And Ike looked rather _sexy_ wearing it. This was bad.

"Nice shirt…" Link commented as he took off his black beanie, not making eye contact. This was the first time he'd said something nice in the form of an actual nice sentence.

"Thanks, Hard Hat."

"… Cunt Licker."

Never mind that.

"I do believe that's the worst thing you've said to me yet, Goldilocks."

"I'll make sure that changes, Sloppynuts. Break 'em."

"My balls or the pool balls?" Ike asked as he readied his shot.

"The pool balls, I'll take care of your blue balls."

"Oh I believe it, I like it when they're fondled."

Samus choked on her beer and began the silent laugh as Roy hit on her back to help her out. He just shook his head at his perfect couple in the making.

The balls made a loud _Crack! _as the cue ball broke up the triangle and sunk in a solid.

"You're stripes, Honey Head."

"I know how to play pool, Freddie Flintstone."

"Oh, going after my build now, eh? Alright Elfie." Ike smirked as he shot again, sinking in the orange five.

Link's reign as a pool shark finally got to begin when Ike made a slight miscalculation and failed in sinking the purple four, making Samus and Roy literally sit on the edge of their barstools. This was an exciting game!

After a fierce fight to the end, there was one more ball left on the table.

The 8 ball.

The one ball that ran the entire operation of billiards.

"I'm gonna sink it." Link said more to himself than Ike.

"Yeah, you do that while I sink my dick in you, Assquatch."

Roy fell to the ground after that one; they'd been wearing him down the entire game. Samus, however, could not control herself and excused herself quite some time ago.

With one swift shot Link sank the ball, ending the game and declaring himself the victor.

"Alright Link, Sam and I are gonna head back, you wanna come with?" Roy asked when Samus re-entered the room as a civilized adult rather than a crackhead.

"Na, I'll stay back. No reason for me to go with you potheads."

"Alright then. Text us when you get home please."

"Not gonna do it."

"Okay then. Ike, you coming with?"

"Not this time. Gotta make sure Yellow Pages over here doesn't get raped. I'll text you when I get home."

Roy chuckled and left with his roommate. Link rolled his eyes and sat on his barstool, sipping on his second beer.

Ike sat next to him and sipped on his own alcohol, "Care for another game, Small Fry?"

* * *

Ike and Link played about three more games of pool before quitting and sitting at the bar. They were rather tired and they slipped out of the name calling some time ago.

"So… what's your story? Roy said you used to be a nice guy."

Link sighed, "Three years ago the worst thing I could imagine happened to me and now I'm like this."

"Gonna need more info than that."

"That's all you get."

Link put his beanie back on and left, eyes cloudy. He hadn't even said his name and he was teary- eyed. He walked to the familiar cemetery and visited the familiar grave. It'd been some time since he was last there and though he usually blocked out the agony he felt deep down most of the time, it just was not an option here, and not just because he was a bit tipsy.

**_Search for the answers I knew all along.  
I lost myself, we all fall down._**

His breathing quickened a bit as he fell to his knees, hugging the headstone and leaving fresh teardrops on it.

**_Never the wiser of what I've become._**

**_Alone I stand, a broken man._**

This was the first time in a while Link cried over the grave, let alone cried over the man lying six feet under. He was stronger than that, he wasn't a wimp.

**_All I have is one last chance._**

**_I won't turn my back on you._**

**_Take my hand, drag me down._**

Ike followed behind closely but silently. He was a bit surprised seeing this man he had seen as brazen on his knees crying.

**_If you fall then I will too._**

**_And I can't save what's left of you._**

**_Sing something new, I have nothing left._**

**_I can't face the dark without you._**

"Why? Why, why, why?!" Link slammed his fists against the stone, scratching up his smooth hands a bit.

Ike looked away. He was so pissy to Link three years ago for mourning over an obvious loved one for no reason. What if he was partially responsible for making him like this?

**_There's nothing left to lose, the fight never ends._**

**_I can't face the dark without you._**

"You swore you'd never leave… We were supposed to be together until the end… And you left me before it was time you sel_fish bastard!" _Link screamed the last of his sentence, giving the sky the finger.

Ike slowly approached Link with his hand in his pockets, stopping as he stood next to him.

"Link."

"What the hell do you want from me at a time like this?" he asked with his teeth gritted.

"Nothing, just never thought I'd see you act so weak."

Link kept his head down, not looking up, "You think this is me weak? This is nothing. Weak is the mess I was three years ago when we were both here coincidentally. You, being the asshole construction worker you are, came up to me and told me to leave as I grieved over the death of my mate."

"I didn't know it was your mate."

"It doesn't matter, you don't just tell someone to leave fresh after the funeral and then tell them to say their last goodbye, you fucking douchecrease."

**_Swallow me under and pull me apart._**

**_I understand there's nothing left._**

**_Pain so familiar and close to the heart._**

**_No more, no less, I won't forget._**

"Look Short Stuff, I'm sorry. And I mean it. That's an Ike Greil promise."

"The hell makes you think I care about your damn promise?"

"Maybe you care, maybe you don't. I'll see you around, I've got work tomorrow Low Rider."

* * *

"Tell me Ike, how do you feel about Link?" Roy asked. Ike decided to go hang out with his friends a few days after the little incident with Link.

"He's not that bad, why?"

"Because there's a reason I had you two meet."

"Lemme guess, you think we're a "perfect match" and you want us to hook up, each for our separate reasons?"

"Well, yeah. He needs to move on in his life and get out of the past and you have no chance with anyone but him."

Ike nodded, tipping his drink to Roy a bit, "Alright, alright. I see what you mean. He is my type though, no one else is quite as feisty and fun to mess with."

"Okay, you like him. But does he like you?"

"Question is, does he like anyone?" The construction worker sipped on his beer some more and ran his hand through his indigo locks.

"He does, but the list is short. And I'm sure he likes you at least a little bit. Wearing that t-shirt the other day really helped you out because that is Link's all-time favorite band."

"I didn't wear it for him though, that's my favorite band too."

"Yes! Something you guys have in common except for a terribly crude sense of humor!"

"We may actually have more than that, but we won't find out until he talks to me again. He kinda got re-pissed off at me for what I did after the funeral."

"Yeah, not very smooth of you. He's the only patient I've still had after this much time."

Ike set down his drink, "Hold on, he's your patient?"

"Patient and friend for a long time. He's had a dramatic change in the past three years and it's purely from grief. Every patient I've ever had was able to move on without me after a year at the most, but he's the only exception. I'm lucky if he even shows up for his appointments anymore…"

"Hmm… Let me take care of him."

"What do you mean?"

"Gimmie his address, I do believe it's time for a visit."

* * *

_Knock, knock, knock!_

**_Come back down, save yourself._**

"Who the hell is knocking on my door?" Link asked as he opened the door.

"Me. Gotta problem with that? Too bad, don't care." Ike moved Link aside and walked inside his dark and depressing abode. There was a black loveseat against the wall and a glass coffee table in front with folders neatly stacked and what seemed to be a photo album wide open in the center. There was a single, dim candle lit on the coffee table and six pack that hadn't been touched yet.

Ike walked over and sat where Link most likely was before he let himself in, looking at the pictures on the page Link left off on. Instead of yelling or even hitting the man that so rudely entered his home, Link simply sat down next to him and looked with him.

"Is this your old mate?"

**_I can't find my way to you._**

"Yes. This is us on our last date we went on," Link pointed to the picture of him leaning on the deceased brunet man, smiling widely for what would end up being the last time in a long time.

"He looks too young to have died so soon…"

**_And I can't bear to face the truth._**

"He wasn't even thirty. I don't know what killed him but I wish it killed me too." Fresh tears fell down Link's face as he thought more and more back to that date.

"Don't say that."

**_Sing something new._**

**_I have nothing left._**

"Shut up, I'll say whatever the hell I want. I wish I was dead, I wish I could be buried right next to him. I hate going every single day of my life without him because he was what held me the hell together. Snake… he was the love of my life. And I've somehow made it through these past three years since he died."

"Roy was right…."

"Of course he was right. He's always right. He's always been right. I'm not over Snake or his death. I'm in love with a literal dead man…"

"You don't need to hold on to him anymore. You can move on with your life."

**_I wanted to forgive._**

**_I'm trying to forget._**

"I could, but I can't."

"Yes you can."

"No I can't. I'm not strong enough, just like he wasn't…"

**_Don't leave me here again._**

**_I am with you forever, the end._**

Ike snorted and about faced, watching the blond drown in pity, "I never thought I'd see you act like this! You aren't the tough and independent snarky bastard I met!"

Link couldn't say anything back, just struggle for words for the first time since he met Ike. Well, the second time he met Ike.

Ike sighed and placed his hand on Link's cheek, making him look at him, "Enough of this crap, Lemon Head. I want the testy Banana Head you are. I like that one. A lot."

"If I wasn't mistaken, I'd say you're hitting on me as I mourn over my dead boyfriend, Ass Master."

"You're not mistaken Bubble Butt."

Ike leaned in and kissed Link full on his lips, loving how he didn't pull back at all. No, Link was definitely ready to move on, he just didn't have a man to do it with.

Ike pushed Link on his back slowly, keeping their lips connected. Link grasped Ike's hands in his, a chill going down his spine as Ike put them on either side of his head and moved his lips to Link's neck. It had been such a long time since a man did that to him…

**_Holding the hand that holds me down._**

**_I forgive you, forget you, the end._**

* * *

**(One Year Later)**

"You know I love you, right?" Ike asked as he and Link watched television together.

"Yeah. So what, why are you getting all faggy on me now?"

Roy wasn't right in the sense that Link would go back to the way he was before like he had hoped…

"Just thinking I'd let you know. Also, I happen to have a ring in my jacket and would like to know if you'd marry me, Tweety Bird."

"I guess so. But just so you know, when we die and go to heaven, I'm gonna look right at you and fake you out as I go hook back up with Snake."

Ike laughed and kissed Link, "Funny, you think you're getting into heaven. You know that song "Locked out of Heaven" by Bruno Mars?"

"Yeah. Hate it, but I know it. Why?"

"That's what you're too damn short to reach the doorknob, Munchkin."

Link tilted his head back and laughed, "See you in hell, Green Giant."

**_Holding the hand that holds me down._**

**_I forgive you, forget you, the end._**

* * *

Done! Sara, I really hope you enjoyed this story. I tried my best to include the nickname thing I know you adored in another fic I wrote. I'm sorry this is so late! And I tried not to make it too long since you're so busy all the time.

So Mamacita, how would you rate this story?

And for everyone else, thanks for reading. Please leave a review letting me know what you think! Unless it's a flame, fuck those.

Until next time!


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